Harvey Weinstein Restructures Legal Team for Upcoming Trial
Harvey Weinstein has made significant changes to his defense team, bringing on attorneys Luigi Mangione and Sean “Diddy” Combs for his third rape trial in New York, after opting not to resolve the case with a guilty plea.
In court documents filed on Tuesday, attorneys Jacob Kaplan, Mark Agnifilo, and Tennie Geragos confirmed that they are replacing Weinstein’s long-time lawyer, Arthur Aidala, who is stepping back to focus on appeals and other civil matters pending for the former studio mogul.
Jacob Kaplan, who was part of Weinstein’s original defense in 2018, is expected to take the lead in upcoming proceedings related to accusations that he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel back in 2013.
During a hearing in January, Weinstein maintained that he has “never assaulted anyone,” expressing how “broken” he feels following nearly six years in prison.
Originally set to start on March 3, the trial has been postponed, with no new date announced yet. Weinstein is scheduled for a status conference in court on March 4. The details regarding the reshuffled legal team were first reported by Law360.
Kaplan and Agnifilo are also representing Mangione in unrelated state and federal lawsuits tied to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, where they successfully had terrorism charges dismissed in one case and the death penalty vacated in another.
Agnifilo and Geragos are known for previously defending Combs, who achieved a split verdict and acquittal regarding charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. They are currently involved in a case representing the Alexander brothers—Aron, Oren, and Tal—in a sex trafficking trial in federal court in Manhattan.
All three lawyers, Kaplan, Agnifilo, and Geragos, are partners at the Manhattan firm Agnifilo Intrater.
Weinstein’s spokesperson, Judah Engelmayer, stated, “After two previous trials on this matter, Mr. Harvey believes that a recalibrated outlook and strategic approach provides the most effective path forward.”
Last June, Weinstein was found guilty of forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and was acquitted regarding Kaja Sokola, but the jury could not reach a verdict concerning the charge involving Mann. Following a chaotic deliberation process, the jury’s dynamics were questioned, but Judge Curtis Farber affirmed that Weinstein received a fair trial during a January hearing.
In his first trial in 2020, Weinstein was convicted of raping Mann and forcing Haley into oral sex; however, those convictions were overturned by the New York State Supreme Court last year, leading to a new trial. The Court of Appeals determined that his prior testimony regarding unrelated allegations had prejudiced him.
Weinstein and Aidala, who had been representing him in both the initial trial and retrial, appear to have come to a mutual agreement regarding the shift in legal strategy.
Aidala mentioned, “Our work doesn’t end here. We will continue to advocate vigorously on his behalf in the Court of Appeals, where we are confident that serious legal errors will be resolved and ultimately his most significant convictions will be overturned.”
Kaplan, Agnifilo, and Geragos are currently managing various high-profile lawsuits, including Mangione’s upcoming state trial set to begin on June 8, which may impact Weinstein’s trial timetable. Prosecutors suggest it might take five weeks to file charges, despite Mann not being the only accuser.
Weinstein was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against Haley and faces a sentence that could potentially reach 25 years. The unresolved rape charge against Mann carries a maximum penalty of four years, which is less than the time he has already served.
The Oscar-winning producer has been incarcerated since his initial conviction in 2020 and is also appealing a separate prison sentence in California.
